Lyn

[Lolly]

Lyn, you've hit the nail on the head as usual! We go along feeling so well 90% of the time, but it's the 10% down time that's the bummer. It's a trick to keep it all in perspective, isn't it?
Let me know what you find out tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you.
Hugs, Lolly

[Lyn]

Hi Lolly, of course it turned out to be what we suspected but of course just trying to stay positive to hope it wasn't. Well, that was the beginning of a day that sucked. My pap smear result is unacceptable, but maybe due to no eostrogen, well derrrr! So I was headed home and about 2k's before home, my car just locked up all the wheels, I managed to get it to the side of the road, so with results under my arm it started to rain and of course, excuses the expression it pissed down, the only way to explain it, and just like the beginning of Sex and the City, all the trucks sped up and splashed me. Once home I had to work out how to get to my Orthopedic Appointment for my fracatured shoulder reconstruction, 50k's away in the afternoon, well I met the big wigs and guess what, I am very complicated, much the same as the Heart Surgeon's response so I will be referred to a bigger hospital and at the same time would I mind attending the Orthopedic's Exam on the 15th May, a Saturday, guinea pig, me being me of course, why not just pay for my parking, I will also get expert opinions from the examiners, I will make the Guiness Book of Records yet or every medical journal. I fell a bit better tonight but of course I cried as many tears as rain, well I composed my self and put your info and some other together and faxed Boris my original Onc, they only one who knows what they are doing, so I have Herceptin on Thursday, I told Boris to add the drugs I need or make an appointment to see meeeee. So the way I am going I will get a shoulder construction that will not give me any better movement but have to go through weeks of pain to gain less pain, figure that one out or on the bright side I may get an infection and die. It seems that the original lump I have been trying to get diagnosed since June last year is the one that has been confirmed by the MRI 12 months down the track, I am trying to look at it this way, that this one is the mother ship and all of the tenticles have been killed off and now going after her and rid me forever of it. Well at least there is a full moon tonight no rain, as for my car who knows more bad luck.

Keep smiling,
Love & Hugs Lyn

[Lolly]

Well Lyn, it sounds like a real test of endurance, but at least with all those examiners weighing in and trying to outdo each other maybe you'll get better treatment in hospital!
So you hope to start a chemo combo Thursday and fire the first salvo at the mother ship; post a note when you find out which chemo Boris has decided to use, maybe some of the other girls will have advice(lol!),
Lots of Hugs, Lolly

[Lyn]

Thaks Lolly, it is worrying to think that a lump as obvious as mine took 12 months and a MRI to be diagnosed, what is happening to all the ladies out there who are too scared to speak up and just take for granted what is being told to them, like I said the lady onc wanted to know why I wanted an MRI because nothing can be done anyway.I think the medical needs to set down guidelines in determing hot spots, the amount of CT's I had and ultrasounds would have cost far more than an MRI. I will let you know how I get on.

Love & Hugs Lyn

[Lolly]

Please ignore the earlier post, at least the insensitive part about having to go watch tv.
I decided this is a bit more important.
I would guess your family is just feeling that they should be more important to you right now, and maybe feel left out. If they could only understand that you need this connection as much as they need you, this is where you recharge your batteries so you can have the energy to carry on the fight!
By the way, we need you here too, you are my hero!
Love and Hugs,
Lolly

[Lolly]

Thanks Lyn, I'll ask about it, and so sorry about you getting food poisoning on top of chemo, yuck!
I've had both, although not at the same time, and I'll take chemo over food poisoning any day; I don't envy you guys...Get Well Soon!
Hugs, Lolly

[Paul]

Hey Lyn,

Thanks, it's always great to read your posts too. You have a "killer" sense of humor. In regard to your positive response to Aromasin, please be aware that you may actually be ER-positive. On this board, we talk a lot about the accuracy of IHC versus FISH testing for determining HER-2 positive status. Equally important is to ensure that your ER/PR status was properly tested. You may want to have your original tumor sample tested again so as to "double check" your ER/PR status. As far as I know, Aromasin was designed for cases in which the women is EITHER Estrogen positive or Progesterone positive, or both Estrogen and Progesterone positive.

In any event, I'm thrilled that your response to Aromasin was so complete. The use of anti-estrogen drugs to battle breast cancer is critical, especially in older patients (like my mom) who have difficulty tolerating strong chemo programs. In Europe, this form of hormonal treatment is generally the first line of attack because it is generally less toxic and sometimes quite effective -- maybe this is one area in which we should look to Europe and follow their example.

[Lyn]

Hi there, NO definately, I was not hormone responsive, I had the whole deck stacked against me, Agressive, Ugly fast moving cancer,tumour that tripled in a week from the biopsy to the size of an orange, as well as invasive, I had a radical mastectomy to the left side, chest muscle, pectoral muscle, 16 out of 16 nodes all positive and then to top it off not suitable for hormone treatments, it would have been a waste of time, I was given 2 to 3 years at best in 1998. Apparently it can have something to do with premature menopause brought on by chemo, or the fact I had my tubes tied as a precaution and they think that may have been why, or not, the act of a higher being I think, I am still taking it but as I say I am still dealing with this lump with a rash over it as well, talk to you soon.

Hugs Lyn

[Lyn]

Hi again, an after thought, I recently had a smear test which came back as unsatisfactory and my doc thinks it is because I have no eostrogen so I have to be retested in a few months and use an eostrogen cream for a week, good in one way I know something is stopping it.

Hugs Lyn

[Lyn]

Thanks Lolly, I was glad it wasn't just me or I would have blamed the chemo.

Hugs Lyn

[carol]

Wishing you success with the new combo. Sounds like you have your hands full! Hugs, Carol